Window-shade-roller mechanism



Oct. 16 1923. 1,470,782

B. TIDY WINDOW SHADE ROLLER MECHANISM Filed OC(..- 6, 1921 co 6 E Q E L \o 9. 'mi. 3 .2 L: m Inverfi'or u Benjamin H. Tidy Patented Get. 16, 1923.

PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAIMIN HARRY TIDY, OF BRANTFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA.

WINDOW-SHADE-ROLLER IlYIECHANISM.

Application filed October 6, 1921.

To mZ whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, BENJAMIN llARRl' Tiny. a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident oi the city of Brantlord, in the county of Brant, Province of Ontario. Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and uselul Improvements in Window-Shade-Roller Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in window shade roller mechanism and the object oi the invention is to provide an inexpensive mechanism for controlling the rotation of the roller and for enablingthe shade to be raised and lowered and locked in any partially raised position without the necessity of handling the shadein any way.

it invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts. all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which;

Fig. l is a front elevation of my invention the roller being broken away intermediately oi its length to economize space.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the left hand roller supporting bracket.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking in the direction of the arrow in l, the roller being shown in section on the line 3, 3.

Fig. is a detail view showing the connection ot a spool to the end of the roller.

Fig. is a side View of the right hand roller supporting bracket.

Fig. 6 is a View of the brake lever used in my invention a detachable brake shoe carried thereby being omitted.

In the drawings like characters oil reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

1 and 2 are roller supporting brackets in which the roller 3 is rotatably mounted after the usual manner.

4 is a spool concentrically secured to the right hand end of the roler by means of the screws 5.

This roller carries a circular flange 6 having a smooth peripheral edge.

7 is a brake lever pivotally mounted intermediately of its length upon the bracket 2 by means of the pin 8.

This brake lever is provided at its lower end wit-h a bent flange 9 which is provide l with an orifice 10.

11 is a wedge shaped rubber brake shoe secured within a grip 12 formed on the upper end of the brake lever.-

Scrial No. 505,868.

13 is a stop formed on the bracket the purpose o'l which will appear hereinafter.

ll is an operating cord, one end of which is secured to the spool 4f, the free end of the cord passing freely through the orifice in the flange 9 and being "freely suspended therebelow.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

The normal position of the brake lever 7 shown in Fig. 3.

In this position the lever is disposed in a forwardly and downwardly inclined position. the brake shoe 11 being gravity held in engagement with the smooth peripheral edge of the spool flange 6, the point of contact of the brake shoe with this flange being indicated at 15.

The operating cord 1% passes from the spool i in a downwardly inclined direction through the orifice 10 from which it hangs freely vertically.

It will be noted that the point of contact of the brake shoe with the flange 6 and the point at which the cord 14: passes through the orifice 1O lie on opposite sides both vertically and horizontally of the axis of the spool and roller.

From the above it will be apparent that normally the brake shoe 11 is gravity held in frictional contact with the spool flange 6 and therefore acts as a brake preventing rotation of the roller.

The flange 6 constitutes a brake element carried by the roller.

When it is desired to raise or lower the curtain it is simply necessary to pull clownwardly upon the cord 14-. This downward pull oscillates the brake lever clockwise, the tendency being to straighten out the cord and move the lower end of the lever inwardly in the direction of the arrow in Figure This disengages the brake shoe 11 from operative contact with the flange 6.

Continued downward pulling upon the cord 14 will wind the curtain upon the roller.

To secure the curtain in any position it is simply necessary to release the cord 14 which permits the brake lever to return by gravity to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 with the brake shoe operatively engaging the flange 6.

To lower the curtain the cord 14 is pulled downwardly thus oscillating the lever as above described and releasing the brake.

By letting the cord slip tirough the finand keeping it stretched so as to lie in a sti tight line, the brake lever is held in the raised position with the brake released and the curtain may be allowed to tall to any desired point at which it may be locked by simply roleasii'ig' the operating cord which again permits the brake lever to return by gravity to its operative position in lligure 3.

The stop 18 engages the brake lever and limits oscillation backwardly. This is in order to prevent the lever from falling completely over in the wrong direction.

I am aware that ratchet devices have been used in connection with curtain rollers, but my invention uses a brake shoe having trictional rubbing contact with a smooth brake clement carried by the roller.

A feature of my invention is the use of the wedge shaped rubber brake shoe 11 which. while providing a very secure brake upon the roller is practically self adjusting as to wear and may be quickly and inexpensively replaced.

From the foregoing it will be evident that I have devised valuable improvements in window shade roller mechanism which while being inexpensive will be very ethcient in use.

l l hat I claim as my invention is:

In a window shade roller mechanism, the combination with a roller having its ends journalled in supporting brackets and a curever/s2 t ain wound thereon, of a spool rigidly carried by the roller at one end thereof and comprising a circular flange having a smooth metallic peripheral edge, a single operating cord having one end secured to the spool, a brake lever pivotally mounted intermediately of its length upon the roller supporting; bracket, a wedge shaped rubber brake shoe carried at the upper end of the lever, the free end of the operating cord passing trcely through an orifice in the lower end oi the brake lever and suspended freely therebelow, the brake lever normally gravity held in a forwardly and downwardly inclined position in which the brake shoe is in frictional rubbing engagement with the aforesaid smooth peripheral edge of the circular flange oi the spool and in which the point of contact of the brake shoe with said flange, and the orifice in the lower end of the brake lever, lie on opposite sides, both vertically and horizontally of the axis of the spool, and a stop carried by the roller supporting; bracket. said stop projecting into the path of oscillation of the brake lever and adapted to engage the rear side thereof for liiiiting the oscillation of the brake lever away from the spool.

BENJAMIN HARRY TIDY.

Witnesses:

FRANK WILLIAM FOSTER, JAMES Soo'rr. 

